As consumers, big pharma ensures we have a wealth of choices to control/manage/cure a litany of ailments. I started a list of the treatment names available and the count to date is at 37. That is a big number from just one media source (television).

The high amount of ads on TV confirms there is a big market here. The ads are high quality and claim to treat a variety of maladies. Each medication uses a unique name to eliminate confusion by the consumer. Ah, sure. The names are totally random and are not indicative of the condition and use almost every letter from A to Z. I have not found a medication that starts with D, K, Q, S, U or V. That’s 6 out of 26. I expect some company will notice and will remedy that to use one or more those letters.

Side effects are mentioned at warp speed as the audio is sped up to get through the lengthy list on how a medication *may* affect you. Thoughts of suicide, vomiting and behavior changes and more might be worse than the treated condition itself. The combinations of medications can be as bad or worse. The ‘disclaimer’ to talk to your doctor seem redundant. How else would you get the medication if you didn’t talk a doctor?

The ads I have seen in prime time cover a gamut – allergies, diabetes, sexual performance, depression, asthma and on and on. They are on a regular rotation on both cable and major networks.

In sports, a HOF football coach once said “You are what your record says you are.” In gastronomy, the adage is “You are what you eat”.

Does the same logic apply for medication? That is, does the medication(s) you take reflect who you are? Take that as a rhetorical question along with 2 aspirin/ibuprofen and call me in the morning.